


Honeymoon on the Hope

by wizard_candy



Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, NB Captain, Oral Sex, Other, Pining, Post-Game(s), Tartarus, iconoclast captain, inadvertent self harm, minister clarke takes over the colony in this ending, the crew is distantly rooting for them, they/them captain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:33:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21556297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wizard_candy/pseuds/wizard_candy
Summary: After dismantling the Board and saving the colony, the Captain moves into the refurnished Hope to help Phineas revive the rest of the colonists. Phineas feels guilty about keeping them around... and even guiltier about how increasingly unprofessional his feelings for them are.
Relationships: The Captain/Phineas Welles
Comments: 10
Kudos: 90





	Honeymoon on the Hope

"You don't know how glad I am to--- oof!" Phineas got cut off as the Captain brought him in for a hug, lifting the frail scientist off his feet a couple of inches.

At first he was tense; after all, it had been a long time since he had had human contact like this, and mere hours ago he already had armed sentries drag him kicking and screaming out of the safety of his laboratory.

The hard metal of their armor was equally uncomfortable, but the Iconoclast fur collar brushing against his cheek, combined with the musk of their scent made him... curious. And the vise-like grip they had around him, threatening to break his spine from the intensity of their affection, left him breathless.

Fortunately for Phineas, they returned him to the ground soon enough, keeping their hands firmly about his shoulders.

"Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?" they asked.

"Ah ha ha.... yes, my friend, I'm doing quite fine, thank you," he replied, beaming.

**_Now that you're here, everything will be alright again._ **

"You're a hard man to get to, Doc," Ellie snarked. "First a secret orbiting lab, now the center of the colony's max security prison? What's next, the sun?"

"Oh! That would make for an AWESOME two-parter!" said Felix. "Maybe even THREE."

"You haven't even heard the worst of it yet," Phineas said gravely. He looked straight into the visor. "Captain, I'm afraid--

They all turned their heads to the distant sound of someone barking orders.

Ellie ran out to view the "arena" where they had defeated R.A.M. only minutes ago. "Captain, we've got company!"

"I'll take the news to-go then," the Captain said, and scooped Phineas up into their arms. "Alright you two. We got in, now it's time to get out."

"Wait just one second! I'm perfectly able to walk myself!" Phineas flustered, trying to push himself out of the Captain's arms.

But like a canid protecting its kill, the Captain suddenly put on a rather intimidating demeanor. "Think realistically here, old man. My crew and I have been all across the colony and back with marauders, raptidons, and the Board on our heels. You think they're gonna go easy on us now, after we've just slaughtered half their friends and the Board heads?"

"The Board was after me, too! Before those two chuckleheads behind you were even born!"

"Yeah, until you holed yourself up in a secret lab in the middle of nowhere," they retorted. "Can't imagine you took many strolls outside in the _empty void of space._ Face it Phineas, the only running you do is on experiments. Now shut up, lie back, and let us do the work." 

"You are treating me like a child," he growled. "A fine way to repay the person who saved you from eternal slumber!"

"And I've just saved you from a lifetime of slavery to the Board. So I'd say we're even," they said curtly, reaching around him to unholster their handgun. 

"Unbelievable," the scientist huffed, unable to think of anything more to say. He was too busy trying to remain impartial to this new bout of increased intimacy.

"Just do this for me, Phineas," they muttered, subtly dipping their chin just enough to touch the top of his head.

"Oh!" he couldn't help but make a small sound at the gesture. He rubbed his hair and just stared, dumbfounded, up at the Captain's visor.

They gazed back at him, neck craned down, expecting either compliance, or... something else.

Phineas felt himself bring his hands together, rubbing the back of his fingertips nervously. He wanted to say something. His lips opened, but his tongue stayed up at the roof of his mouth. Ah, so this was where the 'tip of the tongue' came from.

But nothing about this situation was familiar to him. The Captain hadn't even asked him a question. So what was he supposed to say? Should he even say anything?

By the mercy of the Law, Felix shouted something, and just like that the moment was over, and they were back to running for their lives.

``````````

A month later, things had settled down, and Minister Clarke had stepped up to fill Chairman Rockwell and Adjutant Akande's place over the colony. Two jobs, one man. Luckily his love for Dissident Hunter meant he arranged for frequent cameos in the new aetherwave adaptation of the comic series, and that was as good as anything for his public image.

Despite the strain of his work, he pledged as many resources as available to help Phineas and the Captain revive the colonists still frozen on the Hope.

Ellie was appointed acting leader of the ship and crew of the Unreliable, while the Captain moved into the Hope to work adjacently with Phineas.

The scientist couldn't help but notice the looks of sympathy that the crew shot their Captain as they parted ways, promising to visit often enough to become a nuisance.

He didn't blame them. The savior of the colony, who changed nearly every life they touched, now squatting in what used to be their frozen tomb, living a barebones life like some sort of jobless marauder? Pitiful. He urged the Captain to request some sort of housing from Minister Clarke (Phineas was sure that the former Chairman Rockwell had no end of private luxury ships during his reckless rule over the colony), but they refused.

Phineas couldn't fathom it, but he respected his friend's wishes.

What he couldn't respect however, was their privacy.

It was to be expected, after all. This was his life's work, his passion, right at his doorstep!

Every time he boarded the Hope, he would happen across the Captain in the middle of various activities: cooking, sleeping, working, and video calling with a constant rotation of faces he had never seen before.

The faces of Halcyon.

Phineas realized that while he may be devoted to saving the colony as a whole, he had inadvertently given the Captain their own reasons for caring about Halcyon. And those connections would serve the newly revived colonists well too, to reduce the cultural and emotional disconnect they would obviously feel about deciding whether or not to work to save them.

One day he came over as the Captain was wrapping up a conversation with Ellie and Nyoka.

"Chin up, Captain," Nyoka was saying. "Remember what I taught you-- to be successful in the hunt, you have to do the follow-through. Otherwise you'll be coming home empty-handed and even hungrier than when you started."

"Thanks Nyoka," they said. "You ladies take care now. And watch after the others. They need your guidance."

"Ugh, Captain, you're gonna make me sicker than those Not-Mock-Apples," Ellie said dramatically.

"They're good for you. Your body will thank you for them... eventually."

"Yeah? You think it'll happen when your 'eventually' comes too?" she winked.

Nyoka snorted. "Nice."

"Thanks, I thought it was pretty good myself. Anyway, see you soon, Captain!"

Phineas hesitated just outside in the hallway, unsure of how to make his presence known. Surely it would be rude to admit he had been eavesdropping. But in truth, his friend was an enigma to him still. Always on his side -- and now, by his side-- since he had awoken them from hibernation. Always doing as he asked, never pressing him too much. But so like a hammer, an iron fist that carried out his wishes.

They were his friend, yes, but increasingly he understood that they were his protector: first they guarded the secret of his location, of his plans; then on Tartarus, they pulled him straight from the jaws of the insidious Board, to safety...

He shook his head to snap himself out of his thoughts. This was ridiculous, dithering over minor courtesies. A waste of his, and their time.

"Don't worry," Phineas said, finally strolling into the room, "Once we get your fellow colonists out and about, you'll be able to go back to your adventurous, space-faring days. And then I'll be the one getting transmissions from you, eh?"

They stretched their arms behind their head lazily, taking a deep and audible breath. Phineas couldn't help but notice their chestplate rise before he saw them looking up at him from their chair. "Because you'll be living in retired luxury by then, right?"

"Retired? Me?? Not a chance!" he huffed, straightening his coat. "Not while there's still a colony to save."

"Exactly," they chuckled. "I'm pretty sure life with you won't ever be boring, Phineas. And besides, I missed this stuff. Can't exactly compare a hunting rifle to a test tube. And I missed the industry talk," they said, gesturing between the two of them. "You're on board with everything I say. And I'm on board with... 90% of what you say. Out there, the only thing that really matters is who's the quickest with a gun. Results over data."

"Aha! Good point there!" he nodded, scratching his chin. "Yes..." He deliberated while his thoughts inexplicably revisited the Captain's last action.

"...What?”

"What?"

"You usually have something to say," they replied. "And it's usually the first thing that gets in your mind."

"Well of course! Must be efficient, you know. No point beating around the bush."

"Mhmm."

"What?" Phineas asked.

**_What were they speaking about, again?_ **

"Do you get much sleep, Phineas?" they suddenly asked.

"I sleep, yes of course!" he said, a little too vaguely and a little too defensively.

 _"When_ do you sleep?"

"Absurd question. When I feel like it, of course!"

"Of course," they replied teasingly. "How could I have been mistaken, of course you sleep. How else would you have the energy to run over here during all hours of the void."

"I apologize if it inconveniences you my friend, but for the record, I did offer for us to trade living arrangements," Phineas said, feeling his face heat up. He couldn't understand why. It was a perfectly normal situation to be talking about.

"That's not what I want, though," they said, crossing their arms.

"Well, what do you want then?" Law, even though being on the run was a lonely experience, he certainly didn't miss the puzzle of social cues. Talk about beating around the bush. "You're young, strong, superhuman even! You want to leave? Fine, be my guest! You've done so much for me-- for all of us-- I don't want you to make you miserable by keeping you here if you'd rather be out there. You've done your part; I don't expect you to play caretaker to an old man as well. Someone like you... you should be out there. They need you more than I do."

The Captain rose from their seat and walked toward Phineas silently.

Aboard the Hope, they didn't feel the need to wear their visor anymore. He didn't have to guess at their expression, at the direction of their eyes, or the way their hair caught the light.

And the heavy armor inhibited their work as a scientist, so they opted for something lighter, something that exposed a bit more… skin. (Though was it really more when it was just the normal amount usually shown on people not wearing full-body suit of armor?) When the pair worked in close quarters, he couldn't avoid the scent of them, nor could he avoid the thought of how intoxicating it was.

All this to mean that the closer the Captain got, the more Phineas's mind turned to... very distracting and very explicit modes of thinking.

But this moment wasn’t taking place in another of his selfish fantasies.

Right now he had one chance to pretend like he still had a modicum of professionalism left. He could act like they were just friends and leave it at that. Pretend like he didn’t imagine them revisiting their possessive behavior from Tartarus on his body, pushing him to his physical breaking point.

"You're a real, bona-fide hero. The people of Halcyon deserve you. Not me." Phineas looked at them full on. "I've done too many horrible things to deserve all of this... this attention and care you give me. You're wasting your time, old friend."

The Captain gave him a wide grin.

"What care?" They lightly ran their thumbs over the bags under his eyes. "Is this care? Watching someone you love work themselves into a heart attack?"

Phineas's lip trembled.

Their fingers ran down the sides of his hair, down his jawline. "Is this care?" they persisted with a sad smile. "Knowing someone you love is eating less and less?" They leaned in close to his ear, speaking gently and firmly. "You can't atone for your sins if you're dead, Phineas."

Suddenly he was aware of their strong arms wrapping around his middle. "Nyoka was right, I haven't done my proper follow-through. I've had you in my sights this entire time, but I've just been waiting for you to come to me on a silver platter. But you'll never do that. So please..."

Phineas's mind reeled. This whole time, had the Captain been waiting for him to make the first move? 

How many stolen glances had Phineas been painfully oblivious to? How many missed opportunities had come between them during this past month of working together? How many times had the Captain wanted to say something, but gave Phineas the space he needed as he hurried back and forth between his lab and the Hope?

"Oh, my..."

"Don't say it." They tensed up, blushing furiously.

"You? All this time, you've been chasing after me like a lovesick canid pup?" He ran his fingers through his tangled hair, incredulous. So he hadn't imagined the subtext from their treatment of him on Tartarus. "But... how? Why?"

The Captain gave him a dangerous look, pressing their fingertips into his hips. "Don't pretend like it's so one-sided. You think I don't see your fucking face turn red every single time we're standing close to each other? Or did you think I wouldn't notice through the visor?" they said snidely.

"Actually I thought your temper would cause you to see all that red," he replied, unable to resist a snark.

"Hmm," was all they said, though the way they raised their eyebrows at him all but admitted to their little flaw. "Phineas, you're wearing too much. I can't see where else you could use some... extra care."

He tittered, flushing. "Y-yes, well, you could...amend that, if you like."

"Don't mind if I do," they said, now pleased with the sudden outcome of today's events.

Phineas found himself blushing as well now, suddenly feeling very self-conscious as they undid his buttons and opened up his lab coat. It was quickly dispelled however when he realized he could feel the Captain's lust through the rough squeezing of their hands on any fleshy part of him.

They simply stood there, admiring his body somehow.

"What do you think?" he asked nervously.

"I think I want to hear the sounds you'll make if I do this..." they muttered, as they bent their head to suck wet kisses onto his neck.

Phineas moaned loudly. He had been imagining something like this for too many nights now. He leaned back against the cold steel of the wall, leaving himself pliable to the Captain's care. His cock swelled up in his pants, eager to receive some special care as well, although Phineas wondered if they would actually go that far.

For now he was content to provide his dear friend (and persistent lover) with as much of a soundtrack as they wanted.

He was so easy to please, too. A gentle caress here, a squeeze there, and he sounded like he was ready for an orgasm. Pathetic? Maybe.

But good enough for the hero of Halcyon, so maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

"You're making so many wonderful noises there, I almost forgot about kissing you," the Captain purred.

"Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"No, we wouldn't."

He closed his eyes and let the sensation wash over him as the Captain claimed his plump lips with their own, raking their teeth over his bottom lip.

Phineas whimpered; out of what desire, he didn't know. The way they kissed him meant more than just lust; the Captain _might actually love him._ And he wasn't sure how that was possible, or how it had even happened. All he could do was return the kiss in his own gentler way, expressing his yearning through the deliberate motions of his tongue. He delighted in swallowing his partner's saliva and even groaned from the heady idea of taking a part of them into himself.

The Captain pressed him harder up against the wall, searching hands burrowing deep into his lab coat and wanting to touch every part of him.

"Wait," he said breathlessly, "What can I... How do you want me to 'care' for you?"

They paused for a moment, then returned with a devilish smile. "I want to hear you come undone for me, Phineas Welles," they said, turning him and easing him down onto their chair. "Lean back for me, will you?"

He was puzzled (but also still too hot to think effectively). "Sure, ah.. but you already heard me-- OH!"

In seemingly the blink of an eye, Phineas's cock was out-- and then it was in. Swallowed up by the Captain's big mouth.

"Oh fuck-- oh Law, " he rattled off whatever guttural words he could grasp. "D-don't stop, Captain."

They wrapped a hand around the base of his cock to make up for the part that wasn't getting sucked on. Meanwhile they used their free hand to grip his thigh and steady themselves.

Phineas sighed and gasped through it all.

For a while the only thing he could think about was the delicious warmth of the Captain's mouth enveloping him. Warm and wet and moist. The occasional scrape of their teeth brought him down a bit, but the fleshy sensation of their tongue pushing against him soon made him forget.

This was incredible. This was ridiculous. He felt so sullied and irreverent, being party to this debauchery in The Hope. A voice in the back of his head said something about this being a terrible misuse of time, that he didn't deserve it, that he was being grossly inappropriate.

Hard to listen though, over the loud and wet sucking noises the Captain was making.

The worst were the times when they made quiet groans in their throat, because that meant the next time up his shaft they'd be doing something special. Sometimes they would come down from the tip of his cock with a swirl of their tongue; other times they would press their lips tighter before allowing more saliva to coat him, starting a fresh new round of pleasure for the both of them.

Slowly, he reached a hand around the back of the Captain's head. "May I...?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," they nodded in affirmation, giving his cock an unexpected tickle.

Phineas wasn't a rough lover in the slightest. Not that he minded the treatment he was currently receiving from the good Captain, but he was a man given to much thought.

And he wisely thought to himself that this was a moment he wanted to remember.

So he guided the Captain's head up and down his shaft, maintaining a steady pace and enjoying feeling their lips forming a perfect ring around him, their hot breath, the feel of their tongue sliding along the underside, and Law, the suction...! They devoured him with as much hunger as he could see in their eyes. Taking in all that was Phineas, and ravaging him, ruining him, making him theirs in the most fundamental way possible.

He returned their gaze with wonder and awe, occasionally fluttering his eyes closed. Trying to take it all in but getting lightheaded anyway. "My dear, I'm getting close..." he sighed.

They took the hint and began using their hand to add additional drag on his dick. Their sucking became more intense, if possible, and faster.

Where to finish? he briefly wondered, before deciding his partner already likely knew where they wanted it.

Phineas could feel himself filling up with every passing second. He halfheartedly thought to try and impress them with his stamina, or his volume of semen, but the eager actions of the Captain were quickly stripping away all levels of self-restraint he still had.

He gave a ragged moan as he spurted stream after stream of his cum into their mouth. Phineas couldn't help but push his cock a little deeper into their throat, seeking more refuge, drunk on the feeling of sharing a valuable part of himself with them. They kindly allowed this for a few brief moments, before pushing him back to regain their comfort.

He felt himself get fucking milked by his partner. He only protested when the sucking got too vigorous, since now he had become much more sensitive, almost to the point of discomfort, so the Captain released him with a wet pop.

Phineas panted, slumping back against the chair, grinning like a fool. "You know, you're quite a generous person, Captain, if getting me off is what really does it for you."

"Hearing what I can do to you, is what does it for me," they said with a grin, getting up from the floor to sit beside him on their desk, massaging their jaw. 

Probably sore from all that sucking, he couldn't help himself from thinking.

They stayed like that for a few moments, just looking each other in contented silence.

When he realized he was starting to feel sleepy, Phineas began fixing his lab coat.

"Don't tell me that's what you wear to bed," the Captain smirked.

"No, but I'm not about to fall asleep here with my chest bare and my balls out for you to ogle," he replied smartly. "At least let me keep some dignity intact."

"Aww, but you're so fun to tease," they replied cheekily. _"And so fun to play with."_

Heat suddenly flooded inside him at their words, bringing his cock back up despite the heavy weight of sleepiness pulling at him. "You're going to wear me out to exhaustion," he said miserably.

They took him by the hand, jerking their head toward the direction of their bedroom. "Gotta get you to sleep somehow," they winked.

He threw back his head and laughed. "You are a devil, aren't you?"

"And you're the one who woke me up."

"So I am!" 

**_And what a marvelous decision that was._ **

**Author's Note:**

> That walking animation out of the chamber on Tartarus changed me, man. And the sound of those heavy bootsteps??? Stick a fucking fork in me, I'm done
> 
> Edit 11/26/19: Took a phrase or two out for redundancy


End file.
